Outboard motor lubricating system



IN VEN TOR.

A. S. BOSMA OUTBOARD MOTOR LUBRIQATING SYSTEM 'Filed Feb. 6, 1946 Jan. 4, 1949.

Patented `lan. 4, i949 UNITED STATES PATENT `OFFICE g,45s,51 d OUTBUARD MOTOR LUBRICATING SYSTEM Alfred S. Bosma, New Holstein, Wis., assignor to HartCarter Company, Peoria, Ill.,` a corporation of Delaware Application I `ebruary` 6, 1946, Serial No. .645,846

`3 Claims. (Cl. 123-196)` l This invention relates to improvements in outboard motors.

Outboard motors as commonly constructed are` two cycle and lubricated by mixing a minor quantity of lubricating oil with the gasoline or other fuel in the main fuel tank. This requires efficiency and economy can be obtained by theuse of a four cycle motor wherein there is a sep-l arate oil reservoir and mechanism for feeding said oil to the parts to belubricated, but oil in a separate reservoir has heretofore presented" problems in an outboard motor.

In application Serial No. 558,560, filed October 13, 1944, a desirable form of four cycle outboard motor construction with a separate `oil reservoir has been shown and described. The present invention is an improvement over the construction of the above ,mentioned application.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved four cycle outboard motor construction wherein there is a separate oil reservoir located in the lower end of the housing for the vertical drive shaft, wherein there is a novel pump arrangement for forcibly .delivering oil to the parts to be lubricated; said pump arrangement rendering the pump readily accessible `for repairs, simplifying the manufaci ture and assembly, and reducing the expense.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a construction as above described, wherein, instead of mounting the pump on the` vertical drive shaft as in the prior application,` the pump is mounted on the horizontal propeller shaft at one end thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction as above described including a cover, readily removable from the exterior, for exposing the oil pump to render the same accessible for repairs. x

A further object of the invention is to provide an outboard motor having a lower housing portion and having a gear pump located therein at one end of the horizontal propeller shaft,

means formed integral `with said housing por l tion for directing oil from the pump `to a duct leading to the parts to be lubricated, the said ,v

arrangement facilitating the assembly of Vthe parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide shaft, and the bottom bevelgears. e l d l d 2 `A further object ofthe invention is to provide an improved outboard motor construction wherein the oil`reservoir is` so positioned that it is immersed in water during normal use 'whereby 5` the oil is cooled and the operationof the engine is rendered more efficient.

A still further object of the` invention is to provide an improved outboard motor construction wherein there'is a reservoir for motor oil` lutin the lower' portion of the vertical drive shaft housing and wherein there is a `tube surrounding the vertical drive shaft for returning surplus oil fromthe crankcase to the reservoir, the lower end of saidtube being located intermediate thel l5 length of the drive shaft housing and above the normal' level of oil in the reservoir `when the motorisinnormal operating position.

With the above and other objects in view, the

invention consists oftheimproved outboard mo- 20 tor,` and all its parts and combinations, as set i forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof. `In the `accompanying drawing, illustrating one complete` embodiment of the preferred form of the inventiony in which the same reference nu- 25 merals designate the same parts in all of the 3 2,-2 ofFig. 1; and` Fig.` 3` isha fragmentary sectional view taken approximately on line 3--3`of Fig. l. Y

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the power head is designated generally by the 35 numeral `8v and `this, includes ,a four cycle gaso line engines enclosed in a suitable casingv IIJ. The enginev includes a "crank shaft Il and a cam shaft |12l located in acrank case I3.

The bottom Hof the crank case has a central cup-shaped portion I5 for receiving a ballbearing set `I 6 in which the lower portion of the crank shaft isfjournalled, there beingA a splined crank shaft extension` I1 projecting below the lower end Vof the cup-shaped portionV I5. Suitably i coupled by a splined coupling sleeve tothe lower end of the crank shaft extension Il so as to be driven thereby isa vertical drive shaft I8 having a h splined` upper end. Extending downwardly i ,the crankshaft extension I1 and upper portion of the drive shaft I8, is a tube l 9 of substantially larger diameter than the shaft portions Il and I8. The lower end of the tube i9 is open as at llysothat any surplus oil from the crank case I3, which Ymay owthrough the ballbearing set from thercup-shaped portion I5 and surrounding i' if 2,458,051

3 I6 into the space between the shaft I1 and the tube I9, may flow out of the lower end of said tube. If desired a coil spring I9 may be used within the tube I9 to assist the downward flow of the lubricating oil.

A vertical drive shaft housing, designated generally bythe numeral 2l, comprises an upper section 22, lsuitably secured at its upper endv to the bottom i4 of the crank case, and aV lower section 23. The lower housing portion 23 has an anti-cavitation plate 24 formed integral therei" with. Bolts 25 extending throughholes in por-` tions of the plate 24 secure the lower housing section 23 to the lower end of the upper housing section 22.

The upper housing section 22 has an exhaust conduit 26 formed integral therewith, andthis conduit is connected by a pipe 21 with the exhaust of the motor.

A vertical pin 29 which is supported lbetween lateral extensions 29 and 30 on the exterior of the housing portion 22, extends through a vpivot sleeve 3l. Supported from the sleeve is the usual clamping mechanism 32 for removably securing' the motor to a boat. The pin 28 is pivotable within the sleeve 3| to permit steering`movement, and the entire motor is swingable on apin 33 toward aA horizontal, inoperative position on the boat. l

The lower end of the vertical drive shaft I3 is the lower end of the drive shaft` 18. This bevel gear meshes with a bevelgear .36 rigidly mounted on a horizontal propeller shaft 31. end of Vthe propeller shaft 31 vis journalled in a bearing 38,' and an intermediate portion of the shaft is journalld in a bearing 39 suitablyv mounted ina boss 49. On an outer end ofthe peller 4I. Adjacentv the 'inner side of the propeller, and surrounding the propeller shaft 31 within the boss 40, is a' special seal. This seal comprises a brass disc 42, a cup-shaped disc 43 preferably of a phenolic plastic material, and a packing 44 preferably of synthetic rubber. The various members forming 'the seal are held in effective position by a coil spring 45. The [seal effectively preventsy escape of oil from the lower' housing portion 23 and also prevents the entrance of water.

The inner end of the propeller shaft 31 profv jects through the bearing 3B and has rigidly mounted thereon one of the gears 46 of a gear pump is mounted on a stud shaft 49. The gears rotate in a recess 59 formed in aremovable cover pump through an inlet `duct 53 (see Fig. 3l.' This oil Ais discharged from the gear purnp` through an arcuate recess 54 connecting with a Vertical duct 55. e' The vertical duct 55, as wellI asl the curved 'recess 54, are formed in a wall por# tion ofthe lower housing section 423, as is ,clearI from Fig. 3. The upper lend of the duct 55 conf nects with a duct 56 formed by an upwardly'l opening groove which extends in a horizontal? The 'inner plane at the extreme upper end of the casting 23. This duct connects with the lower end of an oil pipe 51. The top of the horizontal duct portion 56 is sealed by the gasket 58 between the housing portions 22 and 23 except that there is a suitable opening formed in the gasket in registration with the lower end of the pipe 51 to aifordcommunication between the duct 56 and said pipe.

, The upper end of the pipe 51 connects with the lower end of the tubular cam shaft I2 to conduct oil under ypressure from the pump thereto. This oil is discharged from one or more apertures in the cam `shaft as is indicated at 59.

et'Y journalled in a bearing 34 formed as a part o f., the lower housing portion 23. Below the bearing` 34 is a bevel gear 35 which is rigidly mounted on,A

pump 41. The other meshing gear 48 of the gear 'Thisjoil is, of course, directed on the crank shaft bearings. Some of the oil in the cam shaft I2 flows 'upwardly to the extreme upper end to lubricate` the top bearing for the cam shaft.

The motor, of course, operates on gasoline undiluted with motor oil. During operation, the gear pump 41 will be operated by rotation of the horizontal propeller shaft 31. continuous pumping of oil from the reservoir 'in the housing portion 23 upwardly through the ducts '55, 56, andil and into the cam'vshaft'asl heretofore explained. Surplus oil from the crank case will continuously drain back through the bearing I6 and tube I9 into the oil reservoir in the bottom of the housing 2l.

During normal operation, the lower end' 2'9 of theoii returnv pipe is located well above the `maxi mum level of oil in the reservoir.

*Bylocating the gear pump 41 on the end of the propeller shaft 'it 'is possible to make 'the pump' Iconsiderably smaller than would be the case if'the pumpl gears had to be large enough tol't on the vertical drive shaft I8, as is true in the copen'ding application heretofore mentioned;

y Also by havingthe gear pumpl 41 on the end of horizontal propeller shaft 31 is the usual pro-" the propeller shaft 31, assembly is greatly simplified; In addition, removal of the -cover 5I ren-ders the-gear-pump parts readily accessible for repair or cleaning. It is to be noted that with the improved construction,` the lower portion of the oil'v line leading from the gear pump is formed in a"-wa1l'of"`the lower housing portion 23. Thus, when the' llower housing portion is connected to the'up'pver housing portion during assembly, a connection with the lower end of' the oil 'pipe 51 a crank case in said power head, a verticalV drive shaft depending from said 'head and `driven by said engine, a horizontal propeller shaft adacent the lower'end of said'vertical drive shaft, means between said Evertical drive shaft landA said horizontaI probeue'r'shaft for driving the latter, an

elongated vertical housing including a top section surrounding all but the lower portion of the Vertical"drive shaft and a bottomsection enclosing,l said 'lowlerportion "andalso the propeller shaft Y there being a joint between said top and bottom sections, said bottom `section forming a reservoir for motor oil, a pump in said bottom housing section driven "by saidlhorizontal propeller shaft, an

oil 'duct in thew'all of saidlbottom housing section, lan' oil ductformed at Ythe joint between Asaid top and bottom housing sections with which said first This will cause duct communicates, and means including an oil tube in said top section which communicates with said joint duct for delivering oil to said crank case.

2. In an outboard motor having a top power head and including a combustion engine having a crank case in said power head, said crank case i having a closed bottom formed with an opening,

a vertical drive shaft depending from said crank case through said opening and driven by said engine, an elongated vertical housing for said vertical drive shaft, a portion of said housing forming a reservoir for motor oil when the motor is in normal operating position, means for delivering oil from said reservoir to said crank case, and means including a tube connected at its upper end to said opening in the bottom of the crank case and through which a substantial length of an upper portion of said vertical drive shaft eX- tends, there being clearance between said shaft and opening and between said shaft and tube through which surplus oil may flow from said crank case to said reservoir.

3. In an outboard motor having a top power head and including a combustion engine having 2 a crank case in said power head, a vertical drive shaft depending from said head and driven by said engine, a horizontal propeller shaft adja- Number cent the lower end of said vertical drive shaft, means between said vertical drive shaft and said horizontal propeller shaft for driving the latter,

an elongated vertical housing including a top section surrounding all but the lower portion of the vertical drive shaft and a bottom section. enclosing said lower portion and also the propeller shaft, there being a joint between said top and. bottom sections, said bottom section forming a reservoir for motor oil, a pump in said bottom housing section driven by said horizontal propeller shaft, and means including a duct yformed at the joint between said top and bottom sections for delivering oil from said pump to said crank case.

` ALFRED S. BOSMA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of `record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Harris Feb. 9, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1913 Great Britain July 18, 1935 Number 

